ringtail

noun

ring·tail | \ˈriŋ-ˌtāl

\

Definition of ringtail

2 : a carnivore (Bassariscus astutus) of the western U.S. and Mexico that is related to and resembles the raccoon

— called also cacomistle, civet cat, ringtail cat, ringtailed cat

3 : capuchin sense 3

Examples of ringtail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But there is no higher authority for the rescue of wayward ringtails on skyscrapers, the raccoon had to work it out for itself. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Raccoon Congress," 13 June 2018 The young biologist had watched the eaglets through a scope from across the water for weeks as the birds' parents brought them striped bass, channel catfish and what looked like a ringtail. — Brandon Loomis, azcentral, "For Arizona's once-dwindling bald eagle population, recovery starts in the nest," 1 Apr. 2018 This led to several unexpected discoveries: First, that the ringtail and the ruffed lemurs, who both eat fruit and vegetables, had the same metabolic pathways. — Kat Eschner, Smithsonian, "What Lemur Guts Can Tell Us About Human Bowel Disease," 12 Dec. 2017 Animals found on Ubirr's walls include barramundi (Asian sea bass), catfish, mullet, goannas (Australian monitor lizard), long-necked turtles, pig-nosed turtles, rock ringtail possums and wallabies. — Smithsonian, "Learn more about Aboriginal Rock Art in the Northern Territory.," 7 Apr. 2017 Forest Road 4750 (Calf Creek Road) and Forest Road 2800620 (Ringtail-Oakie Loop Road) are closed south of Highway 138 between Dry Creek and Toketee. — OregonLive.com, "Wildfires rage as cooler temperatures arrive," 13 Aug. 2017 Animals found on Ubirr's walls include barramundi (Asian sea bass), catfish, mullet, goannas (Australian monitor lizard), long-necked turtles, pig-nosed turtles, rock ringtail possums and wallabies. — Smithsonian, "Learn more about Aboriginal Rock Art in the Northern Territory.," 7 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ringtail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about ringtail

Dictionary Entries near ringtail

ring-tailed eagle

ring-tailed lemur

Statistics for ringtail

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for ringtail

The first known use of ringtail was in 1844

See more words from the same year

WORD OF THE DAY

nary

not any or not one

Test Your Vocabulary

Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz

Which of the following Q-without-U words means the number five in cards or dice?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games